“We are pleased to support these innovative projects that will help us achieve our environmental goals,” Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio said. “In addition to improving the resilience of our communities, these projects will protect our local streams, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay in measurable ways.”

A map of projects and list of awardees for Fiscal Year 2020 is available online.

To streamline the grant application and management process, the department created a “Grants Gateway” to provide a single entry point to access funding for innovative, local projects. In addition to ease of use for applicants, the Grants Gateway provides the department an integrated grant-management system to monitor sources, manage data, and ensure grants are consistent with the department’s strategic priorities.

Grants are funded through the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, the Coastal Resiliency Program, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Grants Gateway also provides access to the department’s Waterway Improvement Fund, which announced project funding earlier this month.

By improving connections across various grants programs that support bay restoration and community resilience, the department will be better able to fund more comprehensive and integrated projects that foster healthy ecosystems, build resiliency, or provide outdoor education experiences.